Written by: Ahmed Abdel Salam
The proceedings of the Fourth Forum for High-Quality Development of the Petroleum and Chemical Sector were launched in the Chinese capital, Beijing, organized in cooperation between the China International Engineering Consulting Corporation and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec).
Forum Themes and Sector Challenges
In its fourth edition, the forum focused on the theme "The Transformation Path for the Petroleum and Chemical Sector during the 15th Five-Year Plan," with the participation of more than 200 guests representing government agencies, industry associations, petroleum companies, and research institutes. Participants addressed pivotal issues related to how to develop new productive forces and accelerate the transition towards a green and low-carbon economy during the coming period.
Insights on Transformation and Technical Innovation
Speakers during the forum emphasized that China's petroleum and chemical sector possesses the largest and most complete industrial base globally, yet it faces deep challenges including resource constraints, low-carbon transformation tasks, and the necessity of overcoming core technology bottlenecks. Participants called for enhancing scientific and technical innovation as a primary driver for developing new productive forces, with a focus on integrating artificial intelligence into the chemical and petroleum industries.
Future Growth Strategies
Participants stressed the necessity of shifting the development model from scale expansion to industrial structure improvement, through optimizing the distribution of productive capacities and raising the proportion of high-value chemical products. The importance of enhancing supply chains and developing green technologies was also emphasized, including the use of renewable energy such as wind and solar energy, developing green hydrogen technologies, and working to reduce carbon emissions and pollutants to ensure the sustainability of the sector.
Launch of the Annual Development Report
The forum witnessed the release of the "2026 Annual Report on High-Quality Development of the Petroleum and Chemical Sector," which reviewed the achievements made during the 15th Five-Year Plan, analyzed current opportunities and challenges, and provided practical pathways to enhance the security of oil and gas supplies and improve industrial quality during the next phase.
